Unidentified motorcyclists stab two more pedestrians in Bauchi

Unidentified motorcyclists have continued to wreak havoc in Bauchi metropolis as two more pedestrians were again stabbed on Thursday and Sunday night.

Newsmen reports that motorcyclist had been terrorizing residents of Fadaman Mada, Gida Dubu, Awalah and Madina Quarters areas of the metropolis in the past two months, stabbing no fewer than 10 pedestrians, of which two died.

The Sunday incident occurred around 8pm, adjacent the office of News Agency of Nigera at Fadaman Mada, when the motorcyclist slowed down, stabbed one Isiaka Hamisu, and zoomed off.

Hamisu, a resident of Madina Quarters, told reporters that he was trekking home when the incident occurred, saying he was taken to the hospital and treated of the wound inflicted on him.

The Thursday incident also took place in Fadaman Mada area at about 7.30pm, when another pedestrian, Husaini Umar, was stabbed in the same manner.

“Initially, the pain was not much but after some hours, it became severe that I had to be rushed to the hospital for a second time,” Umar said.

Newsmen gathered that in all cases recorded, the mode of action was same – a motorcyclist slows down, stabs a person trekking, and zooms off.

“Most worrisome is that the motive for this rampant stabbing of innocent pedestrians is not clear.

“Unlike the one we are used to, whereby youth on drug stab to dispossess people of their valuables, nothing is taken away from the victims in this case,” a clergy in Bauchi, Malam Buhari Dahiru, said.

Dahiru had on May 2, witnessed the stabbing of a woman very close to his mosque in Fadaman Mada area.

Also speaking to newsmen on the issue, the community leader of Madina Quarters area of Bauchi metropolis, Malam Ibrahim Musa, called for vigilance by all to unravel those behind the heinous act.

Musa, who had been shouldering the responsibility of taking victims to the hospital, said it is being suspected that the incidents had link with people engaging in ritual activities.

“There may be some people seeking for blood to do something with it, more so that elections are around the corner, otherwise how does one explain the fact that victims are only stabbed but never dispossessed of anything,” he queried

Meanwhile, Bauchi State Police Command said on Monday that it had arrested 12 persons in connection with the incidents recorded.

“So far, 12 persons suspected to be behind such ugly incidents have been arrested and taken to courts.

“They were arrested during our patrols and incriminating objects were found on them; prosecution is in progress,” DSP Kamal Abubakar, spokesperson of the command, told newsmen.

He confirmed that the command had received report about a fresh incident on Monday (today).

“We have intensified security patrol as well as intelligence gathering, to track down some of the culprits and bring them to justice.

“I am assuring members of the public that the command is always ready to save lives and property; all we need is cooperation in providing information on questionable characters,” he said.